Twisted
by Hollow Wolfe
Summary: Talonsong wakes to find himself in an old quarry amongst nine other cats. One cat appears, called the Master, and tells them that they have committed wrongdoings and must now be punished for their sins. They are left with a choice: play the Master's game, or starve to death inside the quarry. (Full Summary Authors Notes Inside!)
1. Understatement

**Author's Note: Hi everyone, and welcome to my fanfic. This fanfic was actually written a while ago, posted roughly a year prior to this on the WCF (Warrior Cats Forum) that I belonged to. I'm moving the story over to here, since I no longer frequent those forums but want to hang on to the fanfiction. This is the first of a few of these conversions. **

**As always, I'm looking to improve my writing, so don't hesitate to leave me questions, comments, praise, and constructive criticism. I'm listening :) ****  
**

**Also, I don't own Warriors, obviously. What I DO own, however, is the fan fiction plot, the writing of this fan fiction, and OC characters (which is ALL of them.*)**

**Also, if the game makes you think of a certain real world game called Mafia, it's because it is. It is exactly Mafia except with real world implications.**

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FULL SUMMARY:

Talonsong wakes to find himself in an old quarry amongst nine other cats. One cat appears, called the Master, and tells them that they have committed wrongdoings and must now be punished for their sins. They are left with a choice: play the Master's game, or starve to death inside the quarry. In this game, four amongst the ten cats are not who they seem. Each night they select one cat to be killed, and in the morning, all surviving cats must choose one more to lynch. If all the killers are lynched, the remaining survivors are freed. However, when everyone is lying for their life, and nobody can be trusted, how long can one last in this twisted game?

(This is a 100% OC cast that does indeed contain blood, death, and things of the like. You have been warned! :D)

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Since this is an OC cast, here is a list of characters. (*note: some of these were submitted for use by members of the WCF)

►Talonsong- -A lean, athletic, siamese-tabby mix with amber eyes.

►The Master- -A tall albino cat (White fur, red eyes) and a slightly broken tail on the tip.

►Snowpaw- -A tiny, fluffy white she-cat with blue-grey eyes.

►Pearls- -A large, fluffy orange tabby with blue eyes. She is a kittypet.

►Moorstrike- -A strong-bodied black cat with amber eyes and a stoic expression.

►Addicus- -Kittypet/Rogue. A wiry brown tabby with green eyes.

►Silverstep- -An attractive, slender grey tabby with blue eyes.

►Summer- -(Loner/Rogue) A golden she-cat with white tabby markings and bright blue eyes.

►Arrow- - Ivory white she-cat with brown paws, and muted gray-blue eyes. She has a short tail and her pelt is long, ragged, and tufty.

►Cloud Where Thunder Booms (Cloud)- - Tribe cat. A husky, solid brown Tom with green eyes.

►Celion- -A thin black and white tom. He has lots of fur, making him look a lot larger. Celion is scared of large noises and flinches when someone shouts his name. All in all, he is a wimp.

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**(AN: And now, your featured presentation:) **

**TWISTED**

Other than the obvious faults, it could have been considered a nice day.

My senses came to me slowly, faint and subtle like beams of sunlight reaching through water. My sense of hearing came first. I heard the rush of a cold wind overhead, but I felt no breeze in my fur. Smiling, I curled up even tighter against the den floor, inhaling the scent of a calm morning.

There was a metallic tinge to the air. It would snow soon.

Ashkit would be so excited to see his first snowfall.

_All roads lead to love,_ my mother had often said, and I mused that this was true. A smile curled at my lips as I remembered my kit- little Ashkit- and how he was never too far from the front of my brain. Worry if he was safe, was he happy, was he healthy, worry worry worry. But it was a nice worry, as Poppytail always said. I had to agree.

I figured it was about time I opened my eyes and made sure they were still alright.

I shouldn't have. My eyes flew open and the shock jolted me to my paws.

This was not the warrior's den.

I was completely surrounded by rock, first of all. I found myself in a small alcove in the largest wall I had ever seen. As far as I could see- left, right, up- just bare, dead stone. I had never seen anything like it.

"Hello?" someone shouted in the distance. "Is anyone here? Help!"

"I am!" I shouted back as loud as I could. "Where are we?"

"I don't know!" the voice replied. I heard echoing footsteps making their way closer. Exciting the alcove, I blinked away a few rays of morning light. _How did I get here…?_

"My name is Talonsong!" I said, unsure of what to say. A brown tabby peered at me from around a corner.

"I'm Addicus."

"Oh," I mewed. "Kittypet?"

"Rogue," he corrected. "But twolegs are a good food source."

Addicus slinked out into the open and eyed me warily. "Listen, I just woke up here," he explained. "I don't remember anything, and I've never seen this place before. Do you know anything?"

"Only as much as you do," I confessed. I could feel a creeping sense of unease in my gut. Something was very wrong. One cat was a phenomenon, but two… that was a plan.

Addicus nodded. "Maybe there are more people," he meowed. "We could- wait." He snapped his head to the left. "…Do you hear that?" he whispered.

It was the sound of footsteps. Many footsteps. Bracing ourselves, the tabby and I turned to face them as a horde of cats became visible. All ages, all sizes. Their confused gazes said the same as ours.

"We found more," one cat said in the back. "We've been going around looking for people. Do you know of anyone else?"

"No," Addicus said. "It's just us."

They nodded. "Okay. I don't remember how any of us-"

_I'm glad I've gathered you all here today._

The voice echoed over the quarry, causing all of us to look up in confusion. It was loud, very loud for a single voice, yet it rang through clear and articulate.

_Look up,_ the voice boomed. _At the edge._

I looked up to see the faintest blur of a cat, white as snow, but so far away he—or she—was barely visible. The others noticed it too, eventually. "Where are we?!" I shouted. "Why did you bring us here?"

No response. _My name is the Master,_ it said. _I am called so because this quarry is my domain, and you shall address me always as the Master. You are in what I call my Purgatorium._

A murmur of confusion swept through the crowd. "What is that?" asked a cat beside me.

_My my, silly little cats. You have done wrong in your lives, each and every one of you. You've been bad. You sinned. You broke the law._ The image of the cat stood and began pacing. _And, as the Master, it is my duty to make you repent._

I've done wrong? The hackles of my fur bristled. Who was this figure to say what I had done in my life? As far as I could tell, I had done nothing out of the ordinary. I had a mate and a kit! "But I've done nothing!"

_SILENCE!_ The Master screeched. _I am the Master, I decide who is worthy to address me!_ He swiped his paw in the air and I felt a screaming gash tear across my cheek.

"Ow!" I wailed, ducking away reflexively. The other cats in the crowd leapt back in surprise.

_If you don't want to end up like him, I advise you listen, and listen carefully._ The other cats quickly fell silent. _Four of the cats among you are not who they claim to be._

The murmur rose again as cats began to exchange glances. I looked at Addicus, who returned my gaze with the same amount of confusion. A drop of blood fell from the scratch on my face.

_Each night, these cats will choose one among you to be killed. However, not all hope is lost, my Innocents. Each day you may choose one person to be killed as well. Choose wisely. If you kill the Pretenders, the remaining survivors will be set free._

A deafening silence hung over us. All faces said the same thing. "I don't want to die." But four of them were lying… if we could trust.

"How can we trust you?" Someone asked. I glanced at the speaker to see a small white kit looking up at the Master.

_You must._

"And if we escape?"

As if in response, the shadows of two large dogs appeared on either side of the Master. They barked and howled ravenously down into the pit, as if begging to be turned loose.

_You won't._

No response from the cats below.

_The games will begin tonight at sundown!_ The Master declared. _Sleep well, my cats. It will be the last sound sleep you will have in a while._ And with that, he turned tail and was gone.

A sickening silence. I quietly begged for someone else to break it. "Well," Addicus muttered to me, "This is certainly… a complicated situation."

"Quite an understatement," I hissed. "But we have no choice." He nodded.

"True," he whispered. "Let the games begin."


	2. Awkward

Chapter Two- Awkward

Nobody said a word. We all exchanged nervous glances, reluctant gazes of apology, then went our separate ways to find shelter. I decided to keep to the alcove I woke in; it was the most den-like thing I could find in this trench-like quarry. Addicus moved into the crack between two large, fallen boulders, roughly across the path from mine. Between them, it provided a somewhat adequate living space, but was no shelter from wind or rain, if there was any.

"Do you want to share my den?" I asked him as he searched for shrubs to make padding.

"Thank you," he meowed, "But I'll politely decline." He found a few blades of grass peeking out from a crack, and promptly ripped them out. "I'm used to living on my own." I shrugged.

"Alright, then," I muttered, going back into my space. I wasn't quite ready to have a roommate either.

Night fell unusually fast, or perhaps I had simply slept in that morning. Through the thick shadows of the rock walls, I could hear whispers. Whispers of other cats, of wind through plants high above, and of grass being tromped aside by a patrol of attack dogs. I shivered and bit back a whimper, wondering if my mate and kit were safe. Where was I? How far away was I from home?

I woke up the next morning before I even realized I was asleep.

_Good morning, my lovelies!_ The Master called from the ledge. The cats each poked their heads out one by one, straining to see the figure on the ledge. _I hope you've had a restful sleep, because today the games begin! If you can see me, follow me to the Clearing._ The white cat turned and began running along the edge of the cliff towards some unknown destination. I crept out of my alcove and followed him, dreading whatever lay ahead of me on his path. What if Addicus had been killed? I didn't know why his life mattered to me more than the others—perhaps it was because I had talked to him—but I prepared myself as best I could for whatever waited for me.

The thin path finally opened up to reveal a wide clearing, which I assumed is what the Master had been referring to. In the center stood a massive twoleg monster, rusty yellow with long rubber tracks rather than wheels. Its neck reached high into the sky, and from the tip fell a long cable, ending with a hook. My jaw fell almost immediately at the sight of something so huge.

_Twolegs call this a crane,_ the Master said. He leapt from his perch onto the tip of the crane and began making his way down. _This whole quarry once was theirs, you know, but one day they all left. Nobody will ever understand it, of course—twolegs work in strange ways—but it has become my playground since. This crane here is my shrine. Do you like it?_ He leapt down from the neck onto the body, on the roof of where the twolegs would have sat. He was close—so tantalizingly close—but unreachable. His eyes flashed an uncanny red, a phenomenon I had only seen once before in my Clan.

I felt the presence of other cats as they gathered around me, ready for the news. I exhaled a sigh of relief as Addicus pulled up beside me. "Thank goodness you're here," he breathed. "I didn't want to lose my only acquaintance this early into the games."

From this range, the Master's voice was clearly audible, and his mysterious projection seemed to have vanished. "One, two, three… Well wouldn't you have it," he mewed. "You're all here, all ten of you!" He flicked his tail in amusement. "I suppose the killers showed a little mercy on your first day here, or perhaps they simply failed to kill their target." I tilted my head in confusion alongside any others. "Oh," the Master murmured, "I must have forgotten. Two amongst the Innocents have been given my… special support. One, the Medic, can choose who they protect each night, and prevent them from being killed that night. The other, who I call a Sleuth, and each night they can… investigate one of you and see past your lies, courtesy of me." The albino smiled. "Ow, it is bright out. If you don't mind, my eyes are pained by the sunlight. Let's make this quick, shall we?"

There was another silence in the crowd. One amongst them would have to be chosen for lynching. A black cat standing in front of me spoke up. "How are we supposed to make a decision with nothing to go on?" he called. A few other cats murmured in agreement.

"Well," the Master purred, "Nobody says you must choose a victim each day. But if you do not, then you have no defense against the four pretenders. And with no defense, they shall kill you, one by one." The tom was silenced.

"Nobody," Addicus declared. "I say we don't lynch anyone today. There's no base, it's not worth killing an innocent over. Let the killers move first."

I nodded my head in agreement, glancing around to see if others followed. A few did.

"Let the killers move first?" a golden-yellow she-cat scoffed. "And sit here like prey?"

Addicus looked them in the eye. "Well, do you have any suggestions for who we should lynch, then?"

The she-cat hesitated, then bowed her head. "No lynching," she meowed.

"No lynching," another repeated.

"No lynching," I said.

"No lynching."

"No lynching."

The Master's expression flattened. "Very well," he spat, clearly displeased. "I shall allow it tonight, but do not expect me to allow this to continue forever. He hopped back up to the neck of the crane and began climbing his way back up. "Good day, then." He reached the top, took one great leap to the cliff edge, and was gone.

Silence again. "Well," A she-cat muttered. She was plump, with light ginger fur. "We might as well get to know each other. It's awkward being around such strangers."

"Awkward?" a gray tom hissed at her. "We are in this prison to die, and you are concerned with how it is awkward?" he scoffed. "It figures how a kittypet would have no sense of survival."

"Hey," the she-cat hissed. "How would you know I'm a kittypet?"

"How else would you get so much food?" he retorted, nodding towards her obvious weight. "I would like to see you catch a mouse!

"Why you-"

"Hey!" I found myself shouting, putting myself between them. "There's no point in fighting." The gray tom huffed. "I think the kittypet is right," I muttered. "There's no point in staying strangers. Besides, maybe it'll help us."

The tom narrowed his eyes and eventually turned away. "Fine," he muttered. "How about starting with you, tom?"

I nodded. "I'm Talonsong," I began. "Talonsong of ShadowClan. I have a mate and a beautiful child named Ashkit, and the last thing I remember before waking up here was falling asleep in the warriors' den."

The she-cat nodded. "I'm Pearls, uh…I'm a kittypet, and my twolegs love me very much. I don't know what I've done to get here."

They grey tom spoke next. "I am Cloud Where Thunder Booms. My friends call me Cloud. I am from the Tribe of Rushing Water." I looked towards the other cats.

"My name is Silverstep," a voice mewed. I immediately was taken aback by her appearance, perfectly elegant, less worried than I felt she should be. "I'm from RiverClan. My father is deputy."

I smiled. "Oh, Ravenstep has a kit! He never told me!"

She smiled back. "Yeah, that's me!" Her eyes batted and she glanced around. "Who's next?"

"I'm Arrow," another she-cat muttered. She obviously had caught eye of the way the toms were all looking at the better-groomed Silverstep. "I'm a rogue, I live near a city, and I think I've met you before." She turned her head towards the brown tabby. "Your name is Addicus."

Addicus nodded. "Arrow… I know I've met you before, but… I can't remember how. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," she muttered. "Maybe we'll remember during our time here."

We all talked around the circle, sharing our names, our origins, everything we thought would help, but by the end I knew nobody better than I had before. Now I simply had names to go with faces. Moorstrike of ThunderClan had been the black cat to speak up. The others were Summer, Celion, and the one kit who stood out to me.

"My name is Snowpaw," a little voice whimpered. He was barely older than my Ashkit. "I'm a WindClan apprentice, and if I get out of here, I'm going to be leader one day." A smile tugged at the edge of his lips. Pearls let out a sigh of pity. Snowpaw immediately snapped his gaze towards her, and she fell silent.

"Well," I muttered. "Is that everyone?"

"I think so," Celion said.

"Alright," I sighed. I couldn't take my eyes off the little white kit. Pain for my family clawed at my insides. "I… I'm going to my den. I don't know what the rest of you feel like doing, but that is where I'll be." I stepped out of the crowd and began pacing back, already thinking through what corner I would curl up against for the night.

Addicus padded up behind me. "Way to be a leader," he meowed. I smiled, thankful for his praise. "Careful, though. You don't want to appear too smart."

"Why not?" I questioned. "I doubt the killers will remain dormant for long. I also doubt they have any intention of being killed. I'm not going to try to appear important."

I nodded. My life was on the line, and like this, a single nuance in your behavior could cause suspicion.

I wondered if any of the cats already had it out for me.


	3. Just As Suspicious

Chapter Three- Just as Suspicious

I woke up the next morning to find a pile of scrawny brown mice at the mouth of my den. Blinking away the morning fog, I sniffed the fresh kill- if it truly was fresh- and could feel a putrid tinge to the normal meat I was used to. I was repulsed, but still, it was better than nothing. I dove into it ravenously.

_Daily rations,_ the Master explained from above. I must not have been the only curious one.

After my meal had been downed, I dragged myself to my feet and groomed just enough to feel presentable before wandering outside. Stealing a glance at Addicus's shelter, I noticed it was empty. Was he already at the crane, or had he been killed…? I padded along the thin walkways and bit back a shiver. The metallic tinge was still in the air, though I wondered now if it was really snow, and not just the worn out area we were in. Fur bristled along my spine from the cold.

"AAAAUUUGH!" A shriek cut through the air which caused me to break into a run. Sprinting into the clearing, I saw Pearls at the foot of the crane.

"What's wrong?" I demanded, rushing to her side.

She didn't respond, her eyes fixed on something above her. Slowly I followed her gaze, gulping as I reached the object of horror.

High at the top of the crane, on the claw, dangled the body of a grey tom. It almost looked as if the body had been picked up by the scruff, but the head still held high. It rested on the very tip of the hook, which pierced through his chest and reached upwards in a red-drenched curve. A drop of blood fell from somewhere on his person and splashed onto the dusty ground in front of us.

"It's the tribe cat," Summer muttered. "They killed the tribe cat…"

"How can you tell from this distance?" Celion muttered, padding up beside us. His face was laden with nervousness. "Oh, g- I can't even look at that. I feel sick…"

"Me too," Pearls mewed. "This is too much."

"Oh please," a voice rang behind me. I turned to see Addicus pacing up to the group. "Have neither of you seen a dead cat before?"

"No!" Pearls cried, whimpering slightly. "It's a dreadful thing! Why would I have seen this before?"

Addicus smirked. "Oh, how soft the kittypet life must be."

My expression flatlined. "Addicus, kittypet or not, she's trapped here with us. We might as well be respectful. Besides, you wouldn't want to put anybody on your bad side."

"Yeah," Celion muttered quietly. He hesitated a moment before continuing. "For all we know, that little gripe between Cloud and Pearls yesterday could have been what brought him to… well, there…."

Pearls opened her mouth as if to protest, but said nothing, her eyes darting like wildfire between cats.

"Good morning, lovelies!" the Master cooed. In the debate, we hadn't noticed him standing there. He flicked his tail and sat down comfortably on the roof of the crane. "It looks like we've had our first victim. Sad, I know, but you'll get used to it." He waited as Arrow, Snowpaw, Moorstrike, and Silverstep came within earshot. "You can't act peacefully today, my lovelies. If you all are too friendly, I'll let the dogs on you!" His tone was playful and passive, though I caught a hint of seriousness in his voice behind it. "Make this quick."

A moment of silence. "I stick with what Celion said," Summer meowed. "It's impossible to tell who the stronger players are yet, so if this kill had a motive behind it, it must have been Pearls."

All heads turned toward the kittypet. "No!" she squeaked. "I promise it wasn't me! I might be a kittypet, but I'm no murderer!"

"Sure," Moorstike spat. "If you were a killer how would we know you're really a kittypet at all?"

"How else would she get that much extra weight?" Snowpaw mewed. "I dunno, that kind of trick seems too big for something like this."

"I agree," I muttered. "We need to explore other options."

Silverstep hissed. "Why are you defending her so much, Talonsong? Do you know something?"

"Yeah," Arrow meowed. "Maybe both of you are pretenders!"

A murmur swept through the crowd, and Addicus raised his voice above it. "Cats! Perhaps the killers intended it to be so."

"What do you mean?" Snowpaw asked.

"Well," Addicus began, "Everybody immediately looked at Pearls when we saw that Cloud had died. If we went ahead and lynched her, and she turned out to be innocent, the pretenders would have killed two birds with one stone!"

"He makes a good point," I added.

Summer glared at me. "I don't know, maybe you and Pearls wanted to get rid of someone who was causing trouble with the pretenders early!" Her tail had puffed up significantly. "That and you defending her, Talonsong, you're putting yourself in hot water!"

"I'm not defending her!" I spat. "It's perfectly possible she's a killer, I get that! But don't drag me into this, it's more likely she decided to kill Cloud by herself!" My heart dropped into my stomach. Did I just throw Pearls into a trap?

Moorstrike cut Summer off before she could continue. "Why aren't you exploring the options, Summer? Addicus made a valid point, yet you're not weighing it in. Talonsong defending her innocence is just as suspicious as you defending her guilt!" There were a few gasps as he spat the last few words out.

"Now, now," Silverstep muttered, with an air of calm. "I'm not trying to defend her, but we should consider that the death had nothing to do with Pearls and her argument, as well."

"I doubt it," Addicus said. "It's too potent a subject to pass by if they want to kill us as quickly as possible."

The Master stood and quieted us with a brief gesture. "Now, my cats, I love to see you argue, but the sunlight is bright and it is hurting my eyes. Who will it be, Talonsong, Pearls, or Summer?"

I closed my eyes and put my head down. _Oh StarClan,_ I thought. _Please don't let me die today. Not yet. I'm not a killer._

Addicus held his head high to draw attention. "If I might add," he meowed, "The idea of the killers trying to make someone seem suspicious is much more logical than one cat amongst three others taking revenge. It's too obvious."

There was a general sound of agreement.

"Who will it be, then?" the Master repeated impatiently. "I can't spend all morning atop this crane, you know!"

"Summer," Moorstike meowed.

"Summer," Addicus added.

"Pearls."

"Summer."

"Pearls," Summer hissed, casting a loaded glare at the kittypet, who sat huddled in the corner. "Pearls, Pearls, Pearls." Her claws went in and out of her paws.

"Summer," Pearls whimpered, turning away.

All heads turned to me. I couldn't exactly avoid answering, could I? I bit my lip, pondering my options, and went with my gut instinct.

"…Summer," I whispered.

I had just sentenced a cat to die.

We all looked at the cat, who's gaze slowly turned from defiance to fear. "I'm dying…?" she whispered. "No. No! You all are fools! If you lynch me, the killers have won!"

"It's too late," Snowpaw mewed. "We've already voted!"

"Excellent!" the Master said. "Summer, congratulations! It is a very high honor to be the first person selected." Summer stared at him hopelessly. "Now," he said, his voice dropping in tone. His red eyes narrowed at the she-cat, a grim smile creeping across his whiskers. "Dead." There was a quiet thump from inside the she-cat's chest. Her eyes widened in pain and shock, staring at the cats around her. Her muscles went rigid, her gaze unfocused, a strand of red liquid dripping from the corner of her mouth, and an instant later she slumped over onto the dusty ground, dead as the cat that still hung from the crane.

"Summer has been lynched," the Master declared. "She was innocent."

We all stared at her in silence, in sickening awe of how quickly it had all happened. "I'll deal with the body," the Master said. "My personal service to you." The cheer crept back into his voice. "Have an excellent day!"

We slowly dispersed, and I exchanged a look of grief with Addicus. He simply nodded slowly, as if to say that's just the way things were. Shaking my head, I slinked back towards my den, hoping there were more rations when I returned. Anything to keep my mind off Summer. As I paced by, I saw Pearls shivering in a corner. Moorstrike padded up to her and sat down next to her, giving her a friendly lick on the ear to calm her down. "You should be more careful," I heard him whisper right before I turned the corner.


	4. Treetop

Chapter Four- Treetop

I closed my eyes and let out a violent yowl the moment I was alone. Why on earth was I here? I knew none of these cats. I was a peaceful warrior, striving for compromise rather than battle. How had I sinned, or so the Master put it? The more I wondered about it, the less certain I was.

"You did the right thing."

I turned to see Addicus walking up behind me. "Good job," I muttered sarcastically. "Thanks to your logic, we killed an innocent cat! The other innocents are going to be all over you for it."

"I know," Addicus meowed, "I'm sorry. I honestly believed her actions were suspicious, but we're all fighting blind. To say she should have been smarter about it would be disrespectful to the dead." He sat down beside me and licked his paws. "They'll be all over you and Pearls, too, you know."

"I know." I scanned the area to see if there were any leftover rations lying around. "Three innocent people got accused of being killers today, and none of the real killers got caught. And I _am_ innocent, but that doesn't mean much coming from me."

"You're right," Addicus chuckled. "It doesn't. How about I make a proposition?"

"What would that proposition be?"

"Lets both come clean. I'll tell you what I am-and I'll be truthful- if you tell me what you are."

"I'll respectfully decline," I smirked, mocking his polite manner. "How would I know if you're being honest?"

"Good," he said. "You wouldn't be able to, nor I you. That was a test."

"And if I had said yes?"

"I would have mocked you for being so mouse-brained." He began licking his chest fur. "Whoever makes it out alive of here must me an incredible master of wits. Clever enough to break though the lies of others while his—or her—lie holds firm. It's an art, really."

"A deadly art," I added.

Addicus nodded and looked down one of the thin passageways. The looming walls that surrounded us constantly almost seemed thinner than when I had woken up two days ago, or perhaps the lack of space was driving me mad.

There was a tree.

I could see the tip of a very tall of a tree in the distance, just over the edge of the wall. Nature, home, it was so close, so maddeningly close that I could almost taste the fresher air.

Ashkit and Poppytail would have noticed my absence. I could imagine Ashkit curled in the fur of his mother, but my heart ached that I would miss a second of being around him. I had to get out of here. I had to be free. For them, for me, and to see the rest of that disgustingly close treetop—

"Talonsong?"

I snapped back to reality and looked at Addicus. "What?" I asked, blinking a few times.

"Your expression for a moment was… odd. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "I'm fine. Just… homesick."

"Aren't we all?" he sighed, resting his head on his paws. "Aren't we all…."

I checked to see if I could find any grief in his eyes. It was there, but faint, as if he was used to biting it back. "Hey, Addicus…"

"Yes?"

"Wh- What was the sin that the Master was talking about? What do you think you did?"

"Oh, that?" the brown tabby tilted his head back and laughed. "I have no idea! Sure, I'm a rogue, and rogues fight, but everyone fights. Clans fight. Cats just fight, it's what we do. Not every single cat in the world is in this quarry."

"Exactly," I muttered. "And that Snowpaw, she's barely older than a kit. What could she have done?"

"I don't know," Addicus confessed. "I honestly think that old albino ball of fur is a lunatic anyways. He probably just randomly- ow!"

_Don't you disrespect me!_

Addicus turned to show a row of claw marks against his cheek, similar to mine. Our eyes met, and in that instant I knew that fear like that could not be faked. This was not only a game.  
"He's always watching us," Addicus whispered. "Always listening…"

I simply nodded, my eyes wide.

"Uhh… guys?" a tiny voice squeaked from around the corner. I snapped my head to see Snowpaw peering from around a corner. "I, uh… hi…"

Even her demeanor reminded me of Ashkit. "Hello, little one," I meowed. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Snowpaw mewed. "You were really good today at the thing. I forget the word."

"The lynching?" Addicus asked.

"Yeah, that. You guys seem smart, and Silverstep was taking care of me before, but she's less smart than you, so I want to be with you guys instead."

"We don't have room in the den," Addicus replied curtly. "Unless we make a sort of trust pact."

The kit nodded excitedly. "I can do that! Silverstep trusts me since I'm so little. I could figure out things for you and help you! We can get out of here together."

"She's really naïve," Addicus whispered in my ear. I nodded. Turning to face her, Addicus shifted his weight. "How about I make a proposition?" I bit back a smirk.

"What is it?"

"Let's both come clean. I'll tell you what I am-and I'll be truthful- if you tell me what you are."

"I'm innocent," Snowpaw blurted. "I think Silverstep is the medic, but I don't know yet. I don't know who the sleuth is."

"We're both innocent too," Addicus meowed, glancing to me. "All three of us can work together to find the mafia."

"Sounds good!" Snowpaw mewed. "Thank you so much. I really think we can-"

_More rations by the crane! That is, except for dear Addicus. He has been a disrespectful cat._

The kitten was gone before I could even react. "Well bye, then," I meowed. I turned to face my friend. "I'll share my food with you, if you want."

"It's alright," he said. "There's barely enough as it is. I can manage without one meal."

"Do you think we can use Snowpaw?"

"I guess we have to," he said. "I don't really trust her, but maybe we can lead her in circles."

"You don't trust her? But she's a kit!"

"Exactly," Addicus said. "How could a kit have committed a 'sin,' so you will, already? I think she's here for a ruse of some sort. Perhaps a killer."

I said nothing. I didn't think her age meant anything about her crime, especially when the crimes of fully-grown warriors were still nonexistent. Still, Addicus was smart, and I trusted him.

"Go get your food," Addicus said, "before someone takes your rations."

I nodded and thanked him, going once again through these thin corridors. The tip of the tree disappeared out of sight with distance. 


	5. Thinner

Chapter Five- Thinner

The next morning, the remaining eight of us woke to find dew on the few patches of grass that we had. It was almost relaxing to see a change of scenery for once, but it was also a discomforting reminder of how long we had been here. I had already spent three days in this prison.

"It's about three tail lengths wide, this path," I muttered to Addicus. "Pretty suffocating."

"Yes, you complain a lot about these walls."

"Do I?"

Things had already begun to grow different from the first few days of the games. The more cats died, the more likely it became that another cat was a murderer. Ties became strained, thinking with our stomachs and brains rather than our hearts. We were no longer sociable. Conversations no longer lingered on thoughts of back home. With each minute we were reminded of our mortality, the more likely it seemed we were on the verge of a breakdown. As I dragged myself through these suffocating corridors, I longed more and more for the open air of home.

It was unwise, maddening, some would say, to think too hard about what you no longer have.

I entered the clearing to find everyone already near the crane. My eyes immediately flew to the hook, but I could see nothing hanging from it. We reached the other cats just in time to be counted.

"Talonsong, Addicus, Moorstrike…. Wow! Everyone is here!" Pearls meowed with delight. "What a relief," she added. "I would hate to see another dead cat again."

"Sure," Celion spat, casting her a loaded glare. The kittypet put her head down and shrank out of the crowd.

Snowpaw padded up behind me, rubbing against my leg as she appeared. "I don't think Silverstep is the medic anymore," she whispered in my ear. "I thought about the first day here, and she said she was the deputy's daughter, and you didn't know. She's really old for you to not know she existed!"

"How in StarClan's name do you remember that?" I asked.

"Careful," Moorstrike muttered, leaning in to hear us. "Leaps of logic like that may grab the attention of the pretenders, little one. Be careful." He turned back to face the crane without bothering to hear a reply.

"I don't trust him," I whispered to Addicus. "I heard him talking to Pearls yesterday, and he almost seemed to be dropping a hint to Snowpaw right now. What do you think?"

"Certainly possible," Addicus meowed. His eyes remained facing ahead. "Then again, he's a very stoic fellow. He's very hard to read. But it's certainly possible.

"I didn't get the hint," Snowpaw whispered. "If there was one, that is. What?"

Addicus shook his head. "Don't worry about it, little one."

The Master became visible on the edge as he leapt to the tip of the crane. "Well, well, well," he meowed. "How dreadful! Your ribs… I can see nearly all of them in each of you! Double rations for the survivors, today, I wouldn't want you to starve to death!"

"Double rations," Addicus whispered ravenously. "That sounds nice…"

I scowled. Of course he didn't want us starving to death; he had other plans for us.

"Also," the albino began, reaching his normal perch, "I figured that because of the lack of casualties last evening, the following information would become useful for you." A little smile snuck into the edge of his lips. "Your medic has chosen to protect themselves every single night, rather than those they believe are at risk! As for your sleuth, they have been behaving as planned."

A dull roar rose up in the group. "Isn't that against the rules to reveal?" someone griped. I figured it wasn't, but I didn't want to draw attention to myself by lingering on that fact. The Master probably just wanted to stir up drama.

"What a traitor!" Arrow shouted. "We should lynch the medic and get rid of dead space."

"That's a mouse-brained idea," Pearls retorted. "That's exactly what they want! Besides, the medic is an innocent; if they die we all have less of a chance of getting out of here."

"She's right," Celion meowed. "There's nothing we can do about the medic but hope they change."

"What about the sleuth?" Addicus asked. "Does anybody have any word on who might have been inspected?" No response. "Fine, then. Let's focus on the medic for today."

Snowpaw had to bounce onto her hind legs for a moment to be noticed. "Guys! Guys! If the medic has been healing themselves every night, and there were no deaths today, maybe they tried to kill the medic!"

"That would mean the killers know who it is," I realized. "Maybe that's what happened the first night, as well?"

"There's no way of knowing," Moorstrike muttered. "It's possible the pretenders were simply going down a list of people and waiting until one of their choices didn't work."

"But how would they know the medic was healing themselves?" Silverstep asked.

"Perhaps they guessed. We're no divine beings, after all. If I was the medic I might have done the same thing."

"By the way," Snowpaw asked, stepping into the center of the eight cats, "I have a question for you, Silverstep."

Silverstep looked down at the young kit and tilted her head. "What is it, Snowpaw…?"

"Describe your father."

Her brow furrowed. "Excuse me?"

"Your father. The deputy of a Clan? I've never met him, could you please describe him?"

"That's very irrelevant, Snowpaw. We need to focus on who to lynch today."

"I think it's completely relevant."

I remembered what Snowpaw had said to me earlier and glared at the elegant she-cat. "Yes," I added. "Ravenstep is a friend of mine. I'd love to know what you thought of him."

A few other cats got the hint and leaned forward expectantly.

The she-cat stuttered a moment before taking a breath and sitting up straight. "Well, he's a very good cat, very kind, just, fit to be leader. I'm proud of him."

"And your mother?" I asked.

"My mother is dead," she said.

"Really?" I feigned an expression of shock. The power of trapping her in a corner was delicious, exciting. I relished my moment of utter control. "Such a shame, I talked to Willowbreeze at a gathering just two days before I woke up here! How did she die?"

"Willowbreeze isn't my mother," she spat, her claws unsheathing. "I'm part rogue, and that rogue is dead."

I smirked. Her uneasiness gave her away. "You've given me good answers, Silverstep. Very nice, vague, political answers. Give me a specific. Describe your father!"

The other cats howled and jeered at her. "Yeah!" Arrow hissed. "Tell us about your father!"

The other cats started pacing closer and closer to the she-cat, yelling louder and harsher and more excitedly with every moment of hesitation. "Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!" They chanted, surrounding her. I had won. They were angry. They wanted someone to die. I cast a glance at Addicus, who sat still, refrained from the action, looking on with his brow furrowed.

"Wait a moment," I said, wishing to drag out my reign. "Let's review the so-called _facts,_ shall we? Silverstep was born to a rogue mother, and a Clan father. Yet she must have been raised in the Clan to have earned such a… beautiful name as the one she has now."

"Yes," Silverstep cried defensively. "I was born in a Clan! Why don't believe me?"

Snowpaw made her way to the front of the pack. "If you were a Clan cat, how come Talonsong had never heard of you? Your so-called father is his friend!" The cats all screamed in agreement. _Liar! Liar! Pretender! Pretender!_

The she-cat looked up desperately at the Master, who sat watching as if it were a performance. In a way, I mused, it was almost poetic. There was a mob, jeering, surrounding, dancing around the beautiful ballerina in her final moments. They closed in on her, her fearful gaze darting around in hopes to find one cat on her side. There were none, unfortunately for her. She locked eyes with Snowpaw and glared.

"You! I thought we were friends! Allies!"

"You're no ally of mine," the little kit hissed. "You're a pretender! Lynch her!"

"Lynch her! Lynch her! Lynch her!" the cats screamed up at the Master. "Lynch the pretender! Lynch the pretender!"

"Lynch her! Lynch her!" I found myself demanding as well. It was an amazing feeling. I was a leader. I was powerful. Every single cat in the games now trusted me. I was brilliant. I was powerful. "Lynch her! LYNCH HER!"

In the haze of excitement, nobody noticed as the silver she-cat suddenly went rigid, slumping to her side. In fact, I wouldn't have noticed at all if she had not collapsed onto me. I leapt away from her, watching as her face hit the dusty ground with a thud. "She's dead!" I announced. The crowd turned to look at her, gradually falling silent.

"Silverstep is dead," the Master declared. "She was a pretender."

I became sober in the silence again, realizing that I alone had caused this cat to die. My stomach clenched, uneasy. No, Snowpaw had helped, otherwise I never would have drawn the connection. Besides, she was a killer. She had already been responsible for the death of two cats!

"You did the right thing," Addicus whispered in my ear. "She was a killer. Don't feel guilty."

"Right," I meowed. "I just got… really absorbed in power. I kind of scared myself."

"You scared me, too," Addicus replied. "I'm worried how the rest of the pretenders will react to this. Safe to say you're target number one now."

I shiver went down my spine. So much for seeming unimportant.

The rest of the cats dispersed, a couple giving me uneasy, yet friendly nods as they walked by. I looked down and smiled at Snowpaw, who had dashed up beside us. "We did it! We got one! Just three more to go!" she seemed full of electricity as she followed us.

"Right," I sighed. "Just three more, then we can go home."

"Perhaps I was being irrational before," Addicus whispered. "I wouldn't take down my only few allies. It'd be mouse-brained to think she was a killer after that."

"So I was right?" I asked, slightly amused. I had come to believe Addicus was my superior in wits.

"I believe so. She'll prove very useful in getting information for us now that she has earned herself credit."

"What do you think of Moorstrike?"

He furrowed his brow for a moment in thought. "I can't say. Neither he nor Pearls said much today."

"Pearls never does."

"True."

We reached our respective dens and said our goodbyes, and I made my way back to my own. As I paced through the walkway, I grumbled once again at their claustrophobic air. I dodged a rock sticking out of the right side and squeezed through another way, sighing.

Then I stopped in my tracks.

This morning, they were a good three tail-lengths wide. Now, I could barely fit.

The walls really were getting thinner.


	6. Sharp

Chapter Six- Sharp

"Ouch!"

I felt a pointed jab in my side and reflexively rolled away and took a swipe at my foe. My claws met with nothing, and when my senses finally started putting two and two together I saw a tall cat looming at the mouth of my den.

With a jolt I realized it was still night time. "What do you want," I spat. "Are you here to kill me?" My hackles raised and prepared for a fight.

"No," replied a familiar voice. In the moonlight, I caught a glint of red eyes. "In fact, quite the opposite. It seems our medic has chosen to protect you as a reward for your cunning this morning."

I just glared at him.

"We're not that different," the Master offered. "We are both two cats who relish the thrill of dominance."

No response.

"Fine," he muttered. "Perhaps we are more different than I would like to think, but are we on fine enough terms to have a conversation?

My ears flattened against my head, but I still said nothing. I simply scooted over in the small den to allow the Master room.

"Our medic," the Master meowed, "Is kind-hearted, but a fool. He realizes you're in danger, but I'd continue to protect myself if I knew the killers knew who I was. I suppose we'll see in the morning." He stared out of the den into the pale moon, seemingly unaware that this was a one-sided conversation. "Our pretenders. They are smart. They are very smart indeed."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "Isn't this all… confidential?"

"I'm simply stating what you already knew." The Master began licking his paws and chest fur. "I have not mentioned any names, have I?"

"I suppose not," I reasoned. "I'm worried we're all so desperate to know the truth that bad things will happen."

I sank my teeth into my lower lip. Why was I opening up to this demon? It was his fault we were here in the first place! Yet his odd, conversational manner made it easy to forget who he was. Perhaps I was simply desperate for conversation, or perhaps the dementia of liking my captor was sinking in. Dementia, yes. That would certainly explain the strange happenings around here. The walls… the deaths…

"…to each other, don't you think?"

"What?" I asked, snapping back. "Sorry, I was lost for a moment."

"It's entirely alright," the Master purred. "I was just saying that I'm happy you haven't died yet. Your antics amuse me. Addicus is quite the intelligent one as well."

"Well, I'm flattered…"

"Yes, it'll be quite a shame when you die. It disappoints me when my favorites die."

And to think my scowl had almost vanished.

"Master?" I asked, the word feeling bitter on my tongue, "What were our sins?"

The Master paused a moment before answering. "What do you want, more than anything in the world, at this moment?"

_For this creep to leave me alone._ "To go home," I meowed.

"Liar. Try again. Go simpler."

"To not die."

"Correct!" A smile crept across his face. "You see, before, the fact that you were alive and that life wasn't a guaranteed thing was probably not on your mind."

"No," I confessed. "Probably not."

The albino cleared his throat and began. "It's disgusting, if you ask me. So many cats. So many cats live and die every day, and not one of them appreciates how much of a work of art we are. We are millions of atoms, millions of tiny, living things that all came together to form us. It's beautiful, really, and yet we stomp on this fact." His expression quickly turned from neutral to a fuming hate. "The trees are mundane to us. We kill our friends and brothers. And the worst, we become bored. Just bored. Nothing of this world holds any value for us. You are not here because you killed a cat, or betrayed your leader. No, you are here because you were bored. You didn't appreciate the millions of things out there, just for you, to master. You stomped on the sacredness of this earth. That, Talonsong, is your sin."

A reply seemed wholly inadequate. I simply stared at the angry cat, who sat glaring intensely at the wall across from the den. "Sorry," he muttered after a moment. "I get very emotional sometimes. It's quite embarrassing."

Who in StarClan's name was this cat? "Thank you for talking to me this evening," I said, unsure of how to get him less angry.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Thank you for letting me in your den. The pretenders have probably finished deciding their victim, and I have yet to consult with the sleuth, so I must be leaving. Have a good night."

"Goodbye," I muttered as the Master padded out of my den.

I waited for a moment in silence until his pawsteps were out of earshot. The moment they faded away, I rose to my paws and slammed my head against the stone wall. "What is wrong with me!" I shouted at nobody. I slammed my head again and again, hoping the memory of speaking with that monster would vanish, that some divine being would descend and tell me this was all some nightmare. _Slam. Slam. Slam._ "I don't want to be here anymore, I don't want to be here…"

A painful jolt went through my brain and I collapsed on the den floor, dizzy and aching. I was insane, wasn't I. Demented. How else could I speak with the Master like that? How could I be _nice_ to him?

"Talonsong. TALONSONG!"

My eyes moved to see Addicus standing over me. "I heard you screaming! Why is there blood… what on earth happened to you?!"

"I want to die," I babbled. "I want to get out of here. These walls are getting thinner every day, and I'm starting to go insane. I can't take it anymore."

"Relax, Talonsong," Addicus demanded. His voice was laden with worry. "You're having a breakdown. You need rest. You haven't been sleeping well. Just try to go to sleep and you'll feel better in the morning."

I was hyperventilating now, but he was right. "I hope so…"

"I know so. Please, you're worrying me. Did you bang your head against this wall?"

"Yeah…"

"You must have cut yourself on a point, there's blood on your face. I'm going back to my den. Go to sleep."

"Okay…." My head was throbbing and my lungs felt as if they were filled with sand. I was unconscious before he even turned around.

The next morning, I woke with a raging headache, but at least I felt a little better. I dragged myself past the daily rations, through the thinning walkways, my fur now brushing against both sides. On my face I could feel dried blood, mostly on the side of my forehead. I didn't care; all that filled my head was the dull wonder of who would be hanging from the hook.

As I entered the clearing, I found Addicus having a conversation with Moorstrike by the crane. Moorstrike seemed fine, but Addicus was clearly uneasy. He saw me wandering in and departed from the conversation, padding up to whisper in my ear. "Are you feeling better? I think you're right about Moorstrike. I don't trust him."

"Who's hanging from the hook?" I asked, looking to see that a cat was indeed there. The death was less humane this time. Even from here, I could tell that some limbs were not designed to bend the way they did. The victim's tail was literally tied in a knot around the metal curve. The sight of it forced me to wince and turn my head away.

"Oh," Addicus meowed. "That was Celion… the medic."

"The medic?" my eyebrows raised in shock. Celion had given his life to save me, in some form or another. It hurt to see him so mangled.

He was also a key player in any hopes for survival.

"Things will be a lot harder, now," Addicus muttered. "There's no protection if one of us becomes suspicious. We'll have to stay sharp."

"Yeah," I muttered, a ray of light hurting my eyes. It felt as if someone had dug claw marks in my skull. "Stay sharp."


	7. Revelations

Chapter Seven- Revelations

Addicus leaned in and whispered something in my ear. "Hey, Talonsong."

"Huh?"

"I did the math last night. There's six cats left, three are pretenders. If you, me, and Snowpaw are innocent, that means Arrow, Moorstrike, and Pearls must be the killers!"

I nodded slowly, trying my best to maintain a poker face. "So if one of them dies today, we'll outnumber them and win."

"Well... at least one of us will. One would survive."

"Hmph." All I wanted to was to get out, but I didn't want to be the lone survivor.

"I have one problem, though."

"What is it?"

"Pearls. I really think she's innocent. I know circumstances aren't in her favor, but I do believe she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But... That would mean one of us is a killer! You're not implying that I— "

Addicus said nothing and padded closer to the foot of the crane, where the Master was making his way down. With a sickening jolt, I realized that I had no reason to believe Addicus was safe. Was this his way of telling me? Or his polite and subtle threat that he intended to bring me down today? My thoughts drifted back to the first few nights, where we had discussed the possibilities together. He had never even tried to persuade me he was safe. Had I been used? Had he befriended me to extract information from me?

It sounded absurd, but it was entirely possible. Still, I didn't want my friend to lie to me.

"Well," Moorstrike began, finding a spot where he was visible to all of us. "I think we all know today shall be a fairly easy trial."

"What do you mean, Moorstrike?" Snowpaw hissed.

"Well, there's three of us, and three of you. Since Pearls, Arrow and I are innocent, we might as well stop pretending who the real killers are."

"Liar!" I spat. "I know I'm innocent. You're working against the truth."

"Stupid cat," Arrow meowed. "You should know your words hold no more water than ours."

"Yeah," Pearls added. "I know I'm innocent too!"

"Shush, Pearls," Moorstrike whispered, turning to her. "Let us do the talking." The fluffy kittypet opened her mouth to retort, but closed it again.

"Well, Talonsong," the black tom continued, "I have more evidence. Your friend Addicus is a cold-blooded killer. I should know... I'm the sleuth."

"Rotten liar!" Addicus hissed. He was visibly holding back the urge to charge. "I'm no more a killer than the dirt beneath us."

"How do you know I'm lying?" Moorstrike growled.

"Because I'm the sleuth!"

Nobody responded for a moment. The Master chuckled to himself, flicking his tail in amusement. We were blind, running around like chickens with our heads cut off. It was possible for either to be telling the truth.

"Interesting," Moorstrike said slowly, "But how do we know you're telling the truth and not just lying to cause doubt with me?"

"Well, you just did," Addicus replied. "You said yourself yesterday that if you were the medic, you'd heal yourself every night. Why so much selflessness now? Coming clean means certain death with the pretenders unless you are one yourself!"

All our heads swung from Addicus to Moorstrike.

"Lynch me, then! I'd like to see you try."

"I shall," hissed the tabby. "If not today, then tomorrow. I'm sure you realize how important this particular morning is."

"How so, Addicus?"

"We have three innocents and three pretenders among us. Whoever dies today will leave their side outnumbered. The rest will be killed."

A tiny gasp escaped from Pearls's mouth, but a few sharp looks quickly silenced her.

"Very true," Moorstrike purred. "All the reason we must search for the real sleuth amongst us."

"So we must."

"You seem unprideful."

"When I am proved the real sleuth, and I _am_ the real sleuth, I'll be killed the next morning for sure." Addicus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The second those words came out of my mouth I gave myself twenty-four hours, at most. You should know that, Moorstrike. So lynch me. Lynch me now. It makes no difference to me."

"Fine then," the tom said, a smile curling at his lips. "Master?"

The Master looked on, oblivious.

"Master?"

He snapped his head to the crowd. "What?"

"We've made a decision. Lynch this disgusting furball, will you?"

"Be careful how you speak," the Master hissed, glaring at the cat. "It seems not all have made a unanimous decision, or even a majority. Perhaps a vote will clear the fog." He gestured for us to begin.

"Addicus," Moorstike hissed immediately.

Addicus simply narrowed his eyes. "Moorstrike."

Between two unknowns, I picked the one I was more familiar with. "Moorstrike," I muttered.

"Moorstrike!" Snowpaw shouted.

Moorstrike's head snapped towards Snowpaw with a fiery glare. "You rotten little kit!"

My gaze drifted from Snowpaw to Pearls, who was sitting with a dumbfounded look on her face.

"I.. I..."

The black tom took a few intimidating steps towards his partner. "What, Pearls? Not now."

"No!" she screeched. Her claws shot out of her paws. "Yes, now. I'm sick of you bossing me around. How do I know you're telling the truth? I mean, Addicus made some good points..."

"Pearls, we're allies. Don't listen to this wretch. I told you, he plays mind-games. He gets into your head."

"You shut up!" the kittypet made a faux charge, causing Moorstrike to take a step back. The fire in her stare sent a chill down my spine. "I'm sick of you treating me like I'm lesser than you! I'm not lesser than anyone here! And you know what?" her faze flattened. "I don't believe you. I'll show you what 'kittypet scum' can do."

The Master seemed attentive now, leaning in to hear her.

"'Moorstrike."

"Ah!" The Master smiled. "Excellent, I told you that would clear the fog, right, Moorstrike?" He turned to look Moorstrike in the eye. "Dead."

Moorstrike opened his mouth to yell, but no sound managed to escape in time. His lurch forward was cut short, causing him to fall on his face rather than his side.

"Moorstrike was dead. He was a killer."

Pearls stared on in shock. "He... He lied..."

I turned to face Addicus. "Does that mean you're the real sleuth?"

"Unfortunately," he muttered. "I checked you the first night, which is why I stayed with you. The second night, I checked Pearls..." he turned towards the kittypet, "And found her to be innocent. Poor girl. As for Moorstrike, a cold-blooded killer, just like you thought. But that leaves one problem."

My stomach turned to ice. "Snowpaw!" I hissed.

"You rogue scum!" Arrow yowled at Addicus, swooping in beside the kit. "I told Silverstep we should have killed you off on night one, but no. I met you years ago, before this whole mess. I was worried you would catch on."

"Snowpaw? But..." The kit stood before me now, claws out and fur spiked up against his whole body. "Silverstep. Moorstrike. You stabbed two allies in the back to gain our trust!"

"She had it, too," Addicus confessed. "It was that which made me think I didn't have to inspect her. A tactical blunder, I suppose." she replied with a haughty grin.

"But... Why?" I asked. "Why would you kill your own ally?"

"Why do you think? To gain your trust. And as you can see, up until two minutes ago, we could have still won!" their tails lashed back and forth, and I felt myself fall into a defensive stance.

Pearls scrambled to our side, and hissed at Arrow. "Thank you, Pearls," Addicus whispered. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"It's fine, I just don't know what's happening!" Her fur was beginning to puff even more. "I thought they were honest..."

"Shut up, kittypet scum!" Snowpaw spat. "If it weren't for you, we could have finished all of you off!" the kit hurled herself at Pearls, and the two fell to the ground in a flurry of howls and screeches.

In an instant all broke loose and Addicus was clawing at Arrow. I felt tiny blades dig into my side, reflexively rolling over to take a kick at my attacker. _StarClan, how is one kit so strong?_ Pearls tackled Snowpaw from the side, and I darted out of the fray the moment I got to my feet.

The alley that led to my den was now completely closed off, nothing but a wall of rock. I didn't care about winning these games, I cared about living! The four remaining cats seemed distracted by each other, and I quietly padded towards the crane.

As I leapt onto the rubber track, I remembered the packs of dogs supposedly patrolling the edges. Since the first night, however, I had seen none. Better to have a slim chance of survival than no chance, I reasoned, jumping to the Master's perch.

The Master was already at the top of the crane, and I paused to watch him leap to the edge. It would soon be too bright for him to pursue me when I reached the top.

"Hey!" Arrow shouted from below. She stepped away from a heap of brown fur and my stomach lurched. "Talonsong is escaping! Kill him!"

Pearls shot through between them and leapt beside me, pretenders hot on her heels. "Good idea! They're strong, we need to get out of here!"

"I think there are finally few enough people to escape like this," I meowed through clenched teeth. Snowpaw hopped onto the track below. "Now go! GO! Before they catch up!"

I leapt onto the first rung, trying to remember how the Master did it each day. The edge was so far away, but it had never been more reachable. This was my chance to escape these twisted games for good.

This was my chance to be free.


	8. The End

Chapter Eight- The End

The edges of the metal rungs dug sharp indents into my paws, and I clenched my teeth to keep from yelping. Pearls was behind me, a few tail-lengths below, Arrow and Snowpaw hot on her heels. I locked my vision on the top and scrambled upwards. I would not let distractions cause my death.

"Talonsong!"

Before I could respond, Addicus was by my side. I gave him a quick, hurried glance before climbing the next rung. "Hi," I panted. I was not the best at conversation in times of crisis.

"Hi," he replied. "I'm not about to leave my best ally behind! If we're escaping, we're escaping together!"

"Best ally?" I griped. "I think I would consider you a friend at this point!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just climb!"

I heard a weak yelp from below as Pearls lost her footing on a rung. She slipped, and two sets of claws made contact with her hind leg. I tried to ignore her cries of pain as I pushed on. I was almost there. I was so, so close...

"Alright!" I shouted. "We need to jump onto the edge of the cliff, then we're free!"

"Right behind you!" Addicus shouted.

The moment of truth. Thick, black clouds were gathering in the sky, a faint breeze licking my face. It was the first breeze I had felt in days, and it felt wonderful. The Master was right... I took so much joy in my almost freedom, just a simple breeze made my heart pound. I felt the first drop of rain on my nose. I closed my eyes, inhaled, and drowned out all distractions.

Silence.

I leapt, and a few seconds later my paws made contact with the grass. I was free.

"Alright!" I shouted back to Addicus. "Just jump! It's not that f- ADDICUS!"

Arrow had reached him, and as I finished my shout she sank her teeth into his flank. The tom let out a yowl, reflexively releasing his grip on the crane. He grabbed the edge with his paws, Arrow's entire body hanging off of him. "I'll drag you down with me to the dark forest if I have to!" She snarled through her bite. Her eyes held no emotion other than hate, and I was paralyzed on the edge, helpless.

His grip was slipping. Addicus took a few desperate grasps at the metal, blood seeping from his bite wound. His eyes made contact with me the instant before he fell, and with wide, hectic, terrified eyes he mouthed something.

_Run._

I couldn't bring myself to look at his broken body below.

"You cheated, my lovely," a familiar voice said behind me.

I whipped around to see the Master. "I don't care," I growled. "I'm done playing your game. I'm done being a pawn in your Purgatorium."

I felt a few more drops of rain. The Master chuckled. "Oh, what a shame... I wish you had a choice, I really do."

My gaze was as hard as stone. "What are you saying?" I demanded. "My friend is dead because of you. All of them are!"

"Do you see that tree over there?" he turned his head towards a single tree on the horizon, and I suddenly became very aware that the piece of earth we were on was a flat, bare plane.

"Yes," I meowed.

"Go to it. I won't try to stop you."

I shot him one last poisonous glare before heeding his request. I ran towards the tree, the only blemish on an empty landscape. _This is bizarre,_ I thought. After what felt like an excruciatingly long time I reached the tree, and touched a paw to it in closure. I turned to face where I had come from, and-

...I had barely moved a tail-length.

"See?" the Master said. "This is _my_ world. There is nothing but the quarry and the tree. That is all I have taken with me. The walls of the quarry will soon grow closer until it is no longer there, then I will open up new hallways."

I stared back into the quarry in disbelief... There was nothing, not even the crane. My former cave was now gone.

"What is this?" I asked. "Why am I still here, when everyone is gone?"

The Master smiled, glancing at the ground in an almost bashful demeanor. "You're my favorite," he confessed.

"What about Arrow?" I asked.

"Dead. Died in the fall with your friend."

"And Snowpaw?"

"What do you care? She was working against you."

My blood was boiling. "She had a life, and you took it!"

"She was dead long before you met her!" He was on his paws, ready to lunge if he had to. "Don't anger me, Talonsong. I have powers far beyond that of your StarClan!"

I didn't understand. I couldn't comprehend. I had no idea how to move forward from this point. I was a rat in a cage the entire time. "What do you want with me?" I asked.

The Master seemed to relax a little, and his familiar smile was back on his face. Even now, it was comforting. "My time is running out," he whispered, as if it were a deep secret, and I was special enough to hear it. I shut my eyes. _No. You know how the Master plays mind games._

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"These powers come with a price. I can shape the world as I please, but... I won't last forever. My time is running out."

"How long do you have to start?"

"A year, maybe."

"How much do you have left?"

"An hour."

"That's a little last minute to be looking for a replacement."

"Ah, you catch on quickly! That's good."

I glared at him. "I'm not going to follow you."

His gaze softened, as if I had made a deep, personal jab. He padded closer to me and began rubbing his paw on the dirt. "Talonsong," he sighed. "How did you feel when you felt the breeze on your face just a few moments ago?"

"Amazing," I blurted. "It was the best feeling I've ever experienced."

"Have you ever loved life more?"

"Never." Why was I opening up to him! It was as if I couldn't resist.

The Master nodded. "Exactly. I'm sure very few cats will experience that euphoria in their lifetimes."

That pained me, I'll admit it. It was such a beautiful feeling. "How sad..."

"In fact, most will hate their lives." He lifted his paw from the dirt, and a glassy texture was underneath it. I peered into it and found it was a window. A window to my home world.

Inside, there was a fluffy, dark-grey apprentice. The other cats were play-fighting, practicing their moves, but he... he just sat there. Ungrateful, apathetic, and...

...so, so bored.

"Disgusting," the Master grumbled.

"Yeah," I agreed. I had almost no control over the words coming out of my mouth, but I felt as if there was no other option. The Master was right! It was disgusting, the way these cats threw away their gift of life. He was so privileged, that apprentice. I had been through the deaths of friends, starvation, and gambling cats' lives! He didn't have the right to be so... so _bored!_

I was changing. I didn't like it, but I found myself more at peace this way. _Agreeing_with someone. I hadn't done it so truly in a long time, and I craved pure trust. Yes... I could trust the Master.

"Here is the choice," the Master whispered. "You can return home to your world, with little Ashkit and watch them grow up and be as bored as they like. These games will never happen again. You can be eternally frustrated with how we throw our lives around like playthings. Or..." he added, smiling, "I can give you my powers. I'll vanish, and you can take my place. You can make a difference in these cats' lives. They can feel the way you felt. You will be the Master."

I hesitated. The Master was evil. I couldn't lose sight of that, no matter how he toyed with my mind. This was more than simple persuasion. Something else was at work. I couldn't kill more cats. I couldn't. But going home, and seeing Ashkit become like that apprentice in the window...

"Talonsong?"

I looked at the Master, and for the first time I wondered how many "masters" there had been before him. Had these games gone on for years? Decades? For all time?

He must have been in these games too, once.

But I doubted there was any of that cat left in him.

"I..." I stammered. "I..."

He gave me that sweet, familiar smile.

~

A few months later

A number of cats all padded towards the center, where I waited atop my shrine. They were all so confused, so worried. I saw a white she-cat conversing with an orange tabby. They seemed quite friendly towards each other. It would be so sad, so poetic to watch them discover each other as a killer and the medic. There was a poetic story each time. First it was sad, and after a while the ironies became quite beautiful. A few cats began giving me looks from below.

"Hello, lovelies," I cooed with a smile. "You are probably wondering why you are here." I loved the power I held.

"Yeah!" a tom shouted. He was a pretender feigning innocence. "Who are you?"

"I'm so glad you asked," I replied. I hopped down the crane, sitting on the level above the many cats. "You can call me the Master..."


	9. Author's Notes and How To Play Mafia

**THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS AUTHORS NOTES AND THINGS**

Hi everybody! Thank you for reading my fan fiction, and I hope you enjoyed it! I was really surprised at the amount of response this got, and seeing new reviews for every chapter is always a nice thing. I'm glad to see that the comments were all positive.

This story was one of many Warrior Cats fanfictions that was originally written for the official warrior cats forums, and one of my most popular. (in case any WCFers are reading this and curious, I am Smoke that Floats on Water, but I don't really go on there anymore so please don't waste your time trying to talk to me via the WCF, just message me here :) ) I am contemplating moving some of my other stories over to ffnet, so please let me know if you would like that in the reviews, though note that the nature of this fanfiction and the fact it was built around a game does make it unique to my others.

All of my fanfictions are a 100% OC cast in the main four clans in the original forest territory. My personal headcannon is that they all take place about 3 or 4 generations before Firestar ever arrived at ThunderClan.

Thank you very much to all the people who reviewed and followed and liked, it really keeps me motivated to post more quickly :)

* * *

In case you would like to learn how to play the game this was based off of (Mafia,) here are the complete rules. It's really fun at parties if you can round up enough people. There are also places you can play it online.

Mafia is a party game that was invented in the USSR in 1986. (Fun fact)

When actually being played, the Master usually serves as a narrator and makes up a story about which players died and how, according to what the mafia and the townspeople decide. Basically, there are ten (or more) people, four (give or take) of which are killers, mafia members, or pretenders. (I took out all references to the mafia for the sake of the fanfic, but irl these people are typically called just the Mafia.) Each night, the mafia members will meet and decide who they want to kill. The mafia members know who each other are, and are trying to kill all the innocents without getting caught.

During the day, everybody decides who they should lynch. They are lynching who they suspect is mafia in order to stop them quickly. The mafia members themselves are also part of the discussion, disguised as innocent people. (Nobody knows which of the ten are the killers except the killers themselves and the person running everything.) The mafia typically tries to steer the discussion in a way that frames another innocent person so even more innocents get lynched.

It's up to the master to keep track of who is alive and dead, who is mafia/other special roles, and announce any happenings of deaths to the group.

Among the innocents, there are two people with extra abilities. (There are more roles innocents can also fill besides the Sleuth and the Medic, but they're not required and it makes it too complicated with only 10 people unless you have seasoned players.) The Sleuth can pick one person to "inspect" each night. For example, the Sleuth would ask the Master "What is so-and-so?" and they would say if so-and-so were innocent or a killer. It's useful to have because then you can tell if someone who may be under fire is actually lying or not, but you can't just outright say you're the sleuth and that so-and-so is innocent because 1) you may be lying about being the sleuth and 2) it makes you a huge target.

The Medic can choose one person to protect each night, either themselves or someone they believe is innocent and a target for that night. They can ONLY protect someone from mafia kills and are powerless during the lynching.

Some other potential roles are the Mayor, Vigilante, Lovers, and Village Idiot, to name a few.

The Mayor is allied with the Innocents, but his vote counts as double during the Day (lynching) phase.

The Vigilante is innocent, but has the ability to also kill one person at night, during their own segment of the Night phase.

The Lovers are any two people (typically one innocent and one mafia, but can also be two innocents or two mafia) where if one dies, the other dies. However, they can win the game if they are the only two left standing.

The Village Idiot's goal is to get the innocents to lynch him, and if he is lynched, the Mafia gets two kills that night.

There are also special roles that have nothing to do with gameplay but can make the game quirky and fun. For example, the Teenage Werewolf role can assume other roles or be a normal innocent, but they have to say the word "werewolf" at least once a day.

There are a bunch more roles on the wikipedia page, as well as infinite variations and alterations. Feel absolutely free to tailor the game to who you're playing with and how you feel like playing!


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